Unwinding of blocking-prone web materials has been addressed to some extent in prior patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,811 which issued Sept. 16, 1980 to George E. Enders refers to rolls of belt or breaker components which have been wound with an anti-blocking liner web so that each convolution of blocking-prone material is disposed intermediate adjacent convolutions of liner material. Another approach to ameliorating blocking problems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,040 which issued Jan. 21, 1969 to L. K. Humphrey et al and which is titled Apparatus For Dusting Of Surfaces. This apparatus applies an anti-blocking powder to the surfaces of a blocking-prone web as it is being wound into a roll.
While liners and dusting have been somewhat effective with respect to obviating or ameliorating problems associated with unwinding rolls of blocking-prone web materials, the present invention provides highly effective unwinding of blocking-prone web materials without requiring such liners or dusting and the problems incident thereto: for example, the need to rewind such liners and/or the need to remove dusting powder and the like from the unwound web prior to further processing of the web.